Stromae calls off entire tour, ticket holders to be refunded

Belgian singer Stromae has announced that he will be cancelling the rest of his world tour ‘Multitude’, saying on social media networks that he needs more rest than he had initially expected.

The acclaimed singer, whose real name is Paul Van Haver, has been largely absent from the public eye for the last several years after experiencing serious health issues and burnout.

His recent album was celebrated as a return to his craft, but after further deterioration of his health, which led to some cancellations in Europe, now all of his planned concerts and festival appearances this summer have been cancelled.

“Surrounded by my doctors, my family, my friends and my team, I was hoping to be able to get back on the road as soon as possible,” Stromae said.

“Unfortunately, I must now accept that this time of rest and remission will be longer than I imagined. It is therefore with great regret that I will not be able to honour my promise and that I am announcing the end of the Multitude tour.”

The tour, named for the internationally successful comeback album, included several performances in his native Belgium. The Brussels-based performer is one of the best-selling French-speaking artists worldwide.

Stromae called the decision “difficult but necessary”, adding that he “wanted to offer you all my most sincere apologies for these missed dates that I was expecting as much as you were, and which I have to give up despite myself”.

There were still about 30 dates left on his tour and two festival appearances scheduled this summer.

“People in possession of a ticket can approach their point of sale to obtain an immediate refund,” wrote Auguri Productions and Mosaert label. The latter are also direct sellers of tickets.

The Stromae website has been overloaded and a queue is in place, meaning it may take some time before people can obtain a refund through there.

Those with festival tickets are being advised to await announcements from festival organisers.

The cancelled concerts include dates in France, the Netherlands, and at Palais 12 in Brussels on 1-3 June and 8-9 December.

“The album Multitude and the tour we launched together more than a year ago are for me a culmination and a great personal and collective pride,” Stromae said.

“I have been extremely happy to see you on stage since the beginning of this tour and to share this adventure with all the teams who have designed this exceptional show with me.”